Okay...so this chapter took forever to finish, but here it is! I hope you enjoy it!

Comments are always appreciated. They fuel my need to keep writing about these wonderful, lovesick dorks.
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I cross-post on AO3 and on Tumblr.

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AO3: clslovegood47
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I own nothing but the plot.

The emotional roller coaster Adrien had experienced over the past two days had been both exhausting and exhilarating. Not only had he become a superhero and gone to school for the first time, but he'd met the most incredible human being: Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Now that he knew that his new partner didn't hate him for something Chloe did, he could focus on everything that made Marinette wonderful. It had only been a few hours since he'd asked for her forgiveness by giving her his umbrella, but he knew that he wanted to give her so much more. He wanted to give her the world.

Okay, so knowing her identity wasn't ideal, but he was so happy. Adrien was one hundred percent positive that he was shamelessly in love with her; however, he had no idea how to tell her.

"I'll just have to wait until the time is right," he decided.

Adrien sighed and wondered if that day would ever come.

Plagg groaned and emerged from the wastebasket. "Please don't become one of those silent pining types. I've had at least a dozen of those, and they were all miserable before they finally made a move."

He looked at his Kwami. "I don't know if I'm ready to ask her out yet. Like, I want to show Marinette that I care about her, but we just met. I don't want to come off too strong. I gotta be honest...I don't really know what I'm doing."

"No...I never would have guessed!"

"Hey! I'm trying. How can you expect me to figure out how to pursue a romantic relationship with someone if I've never really had friends before?"

"I think you just answered your own question."

"Huh?"

"You should try being friends with her first. Build that bond of trust that I was talking about. Once you do that, I guarantee that you'll find the courage to ask out your bug."

"What do you mean?"

"Just be friends with her for a little while."

"Just friends?" Adrien shook his head. "No, I don't like the sound of that. Marinette is definitely not 'just a friend'."

Plagg crossed his arms. "Look, kid. Marinette is Ladybug, and you are her Chat Noir. The two of you will never be 'just friends'; however, you really should get to know her first. Typically, my wielders spend time with their bugs before they reveal their identities because knowing who's behind that mask makes this real, and that can be scary. Also, you two are going to see each other almost every day. There's no need to go all out in one sitting because you will have plenty of opportunities to woo her. It's not like you're just going to see her during Akuma attacks and the occasional patrol...give it some time."

"I still want to show her that I care."

"You can do that by building a strong friendship."

Adrien felt as if a thousand thoughts were swirling around his head at the same time. "Perhaps the right moment will come if I work on being her friend first. But I still want to do more. I want her to know that she's special to me."

"I think I want to give her something...you know...as a token of our friendship," Adrien declared.

"People are usually pretty receptive to food...just like me...who's still waiting for his cheese." Plagg placed a paw on his forehead and pretended to swoon.

"No, she lives in a bakery. I want to give her something else, but I don't know what just yet."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, kid...right after you bring me cheese."

Adrien sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll go get your smelly cheese."

Leaving behind a smug-looking Kwami, Adrien padded across the room, walked out the door, and crept down the hallway towards the kitchen. He ducked behind a planter when he heard a noise coming from his father's office. When he was sure that his father would not discover him, he continued on his journey.

"I'm going to have to start ordering cheese. Sneaking out of my room like this every night is too risky," he thought, making himself a mental note.

Once he was safely inside the kitchen, Adrien opened the fridge and pulled out his Kwami's beloved camembert. He scanned his surroundings before closing the refrigerator door and tucking the cheese under his arm. Before having the chance to make a move towards the exit, his eyes landed on a bouquet of roses in a vase.

"I know just what to give Marinette."

Adrien smiled and pulled a red rose from the bundle.

Marinette woke up the next morning and groaned. "I messed up so bad, Tikki."

Tikki flew over to her holder and nuzzled her on the cheek. "It's going to be okay. Usually, we like to wait for our holders to get to know each other a little better before even considering a reveal, but we will make it work. Your new partner seems wonderful."

"Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Marinette smiled and blushed, "I can't believe he goes to my school."

"I can," the red Kwami mumbled, "Master Fu definitely knew what he was doing this time."

Marinette cocked her head to the side. "Who?"

Tikki's eyes grew wide. "Uhhh...don't worry about it. That's a story for a different day. But...Adrien, huh? I saw the way you two were looking at each other yesterday."

"I know...I know...but I think I have a problem."

"What is it?"

"Every time I think about him, it feels like my brain is going to explode. He's so kind and sweet. You heard me try to say goodbye to him yesterday! I started stammering. How am I supposed to fight Akumas with him if I can't even talk to him?"

"You just need to get to know him."

"How?"

"Why don't you invite him over for lunch? Or you could hang out with him after school. Just spend time with him. Find out what kind of things he likes to do. It will get easier."

Marinette sighed. "I've never felt this way before."

The Kwami smiled. "It'll be okay, Marinette. Falling in love is a wonderful thing. It's scary, but it will change your life for the better."

"I hope so, Tikki, because with Hawkmoth and his Akumas out there, I'm going to need some good changes in my life to balance out the stressful ones…but then again, this is really stressful. What do I say? I can't just go up to him!"

"Sure, you can. He's your partner, and now he's your friend. I can guarantee that he would love to spend time with you. Plagg's cats typically love being with my bugs."

Before she could answer her Kwami, she heard her mother yelling from downstairs. "Let's go, Marinette! You don't want to be late for school!"

Marinette looked at the clock on her phone and began to panic. "Oh, no! I still need to brush my hair! If I go looking like this, Adrien is going to think that I'm a weirdo for sure! He's going to take one look at me and decide that I'm too spastic, and he'll never want to talk to me again."

Tikki shook her head. "I'm sure that won't happen. How about you just focus on getting ready and heading over to the school?"

With a frustrated groan, Marinette haphazardly finished her morning routine, gathered her belongings, and rushed out of her house. When the coast was clear, she bolted across the street and ran into the school's courtyard.

By the time she made it to the classroom, she was out of breath and exhausted. She dragged herself over to her table and collapsed in her seat. When she looked up, two shining green eyes were looking at her with a worried expression.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked.

Marinette felt her insides seize with fear. "I...uh...ko may...I MEAN...I'm okay...ugh."

"That's good to hear! I...um...I have something for you!"

"Y-you do?"

Marinette's breath hitched as he held up a delicate red rose. She reached out her hand and took it. She was so nervous that she didn't know whether to smile, laugh, or cry.

She looked at him with the calmest expression she could muster. "You didn't have to get me a-anything. You already gave me your bumbrella...no...ugh...your umbrella."

He frowned slightly. "I thought you would like it. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me."

"What on earth did I miss?" Alya looked back and forth between Adrien and Marinette. "Didn't you two hate each other yesterday?"

"No," Nino piped in, "Marinette didn't want to talk to Adrien because she thought that Chloe put the gum on your seat. I told him to go talk to her, but I'm sensing that a whole lot more happened between them yesterday than just a simple conversation."

"Wait, are you telling me that Adrien didn't put the gum on our seat?"

"Nope. It was Chloe. However, until two days ago, that girl was my bro's only friend. Now, he has me."

"Ahhh...that was very informative. I think I'll have to keep you around. You said your name was...Nino, right?"

"Yup that's me."

Alya then turned to Marinette. "So, care to explain what happened yesterday? You can't tell me that nothing happened because something obviously did."

"N-nothing happened," Marinette did her best to cover the blush on her cheeks with her hands. "We made up...that's it."

"Made up or made out?"

"ALYA!"

"I think I'm definitely going to like it at this school. Things just got very interesting."

When Marinette looked up at Adrien, she saw him hang his head and turn around. Her heart sank. She was messing everything up again!

Their conversation ended abruptly when Miss Bustier entered the room and started to teach. That morning, Marinette found it impossible to pay attention to the lesson. By the time the class was dismissed for lunch, she was itching for another chance to talk to Adrien. (Well...try to talk to him.)

When the bell rang, she saw Adrien quickly pack up his things and begin to walk out of the classroom without looking at her. She grabbed her belongings and attempted to catch up to him. However, she forgot about the step next to her table and plummeted to the ground. She landed on her hip and let out a sharp cry. Within seconds, Adrien had turned around and reentered the classroom.

Kneeling by her side, he placed a gentle hand on top of hers. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Can you stand?" he whispered.

"Yeah, I think so. Don't worry about me. I fall all the time. I'm hopeless." Tears began to fall freely down her cheeks.

Adrien helped Marinette onto her feet. When she winced, he snaked his arm around her and let her lean on him. She gladly used him for support.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked with concern lacing his voice.

Marinette attempted to wipe away the tears. "I'm fine. I'm telling you...I really do get hurt all the time. I...I...I…"

When she started crying again, Adrien led her out of the classroom and into the locker room. He took her to a secluded corner and sat down with her on a wooden bench.

After a few minutes, Adrien finally broke the silence. "I'm guessing this has to do with a lot more than just falling down in the classroom."

All Marinette could do was nod her head in agreement and bury her face in her hands.

"Okay," he began, "Are you still mad at me? Is that what this is about? Because I'll do anything to make you feel comfortable around me. Just say the word, and I'll do it."

Her head snapped up. "No...absolutely not! You're wonderful! Why would you think I was still mad at you?"

"Well, you didn't really like the rose I gave you."

"Oh, no, Adrien! I'm so sorry I made you think that! I loved it...I...I'm just hopeless. I mess everything up! First, I reveal my identity, and then I don't cleanse the Akuma. Now, I'm being so stupid that my partner thinks I hate him!"

"You're not hopeless, Marinette! Did you not see how brave you were yesterday standing up to Hawkmoth? This was our first time being superheroes. We're bound to make a few mistakes along the way. I definitely didn't do everything right. We're learning, and I know that we can do this...together."

"You know...I almost gave up my Miraculous when I realized that I'd messed up."

Adrien took both of her hands. "Marinette, I can't do this without you. You are my lady...and I will always be your cat. We are partners."

She smiled. "I think I'm starting to see that now. I guess I just feel like I can't do anything right."

"Learning who you are right away was the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. Don't ever think that was a mistake. I think it was fate because now I have the chance to get to know you outside of the mask. I gave you that rose to try and let you know how excited I was to have you in my life."

Marinette felt her cheeks begin to burn once again. "I...it...umm...stiss rice nose...I mean...uhh...it's a nice rose. Thank you."

Adrien's brows furrowed. "Are you sure you're not still mad at me? You seem to be uncomfortable."

She sighed. "N-no. I'm sorry. It's not you. I...I just...I getalittleflusteredsometimes."

He chuckled. "As long as you're not mad, I think that flustered is something that we can work with. What can I do to make you feel more at ease?"

"Tikki said that I should get to know you and that we should spend time together outside of school."

"That would be awesome! But…"

Marinette hung her head. "Oh...you don't want to."

Adrien shook his head. "NO! No...not at all. That's not it. My dad is just SUPER strict. Two days ago, he finally agreed to let me go to school. He doesn't really like it when I leave the house. You know what? I'll see what I can do."

"Really? Well, if you're free now we could get lunch together."

"I'd love to, but my dad scheduled me for a photoshoot, and he has me missing school this afternoon. But...I can see if he'll let me do something once fencing practice is over."

"Wow...a photoshoot and fencing? And you're Chat Noir? How do you function?"

"I also have Chinese and piano. My dad likes to keep me busy. If I ask Nathalie...oh, that's my dad's assistant...umm...if I ask her first, she may be able to convince my dad to let me come over."

Excitement flooded Marinette's brain. "Okay! Umm...how about we exchange numbers? That way you can let me know if you can make it tonight."

Adrien grinned. "Sounds like a plan, my lady."

She giggled and pulled out her phone. Once they had each other's contact information, they parted ways.

It didn't take long for Marinette to convince her parents to potentially have Adrien come over for dinner. She spent the rest of her lunch break in a happy haze.

When she returned to school, she found herself still unable to focus as she thought about spending time with Adrien. She wondered what kind of things he liked to do.

Her mind wandered. "He's rich and famous. He probably likes cool stuff...oh, no...he probably likes cool stuff that I don't have! No, Marinette...he's a nice person. He's also really cute...ugh...I hope I can actually talk to him...he's going to figure out that I have a crush on him...he's going to think I'm…"

A soft buzz in her purse caused her spiraling thoughts to come to a screeching halt. She surreptitiously opened the clap on her bag and checked the message on her phone.

Adrien: Guess what? You'll never believe it! My dad actually said yes! I just have to leave by seven. Did you still want me to come over?

Marinette: Yes! I can't wait!

Adrien: Cool. I'll walk over to the bakery after fencing.

Marinette: Awesome! I'll see you then!

The rest of the afternoon crawled by. At the sounding of the final bell, Marinette leaped out of her seat and zipped home. She wanted everything to be perfect for Adrien's arrival.

Adrien quickly changed into his everyday clothes at the end of fencing practice. He couldn't wait to see Marinette again. When he turned to leave, he was stopped by a concerned looking Plagg.

The Kwami crossed his arms. "Kid, are you sure the rose thing was a good idea? Aren't you supposed to be working on being friends with Marinette?"

"Well, like I said before...I don't want to be just friends with her," Adrien stated plainly, "I care about her. We may be 'just friends' now, but I'm hoping that she'll want to be my girlfriend one day."

"But a rose? Aren't you coming on a bit strong? Can't you just use your words?"

"I can't tell her just yet...I...she...I don't think that Marinette can handle words at the moment. Trust me, I'd love to sweep her off her feet right now, but she doesn't seem comfortable with me yet."

"And the rose was supposed to make her feel more comfortable around you? Kid..."

"Well, I saw the rose thing in a movie once."

"A movie?" Plagg cocked his head to the side.

"It's something you can watch on a big screen or a moving picture box. It's kind of like watching a book." Adrien clarified.

"My goodness the world has changed since I was last activated, but if a movie is anything like a book, what makes you so sure that your plan is going to work?"

"Well, it worked out for the guy in the movie, so why can't it work out for me? The main character didn't tell the girl that he loved her until the end, and they still lived happily ever after."

"But that's just a story."

"Aren't we all just walking stories at the end of the day?"

Plagg deadpanned. "You're unbelievable."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Oh, and you're not?"

"Fine. I'll let it slide because you seem like you've been a little...sheltered. But trust me, giving a girl a rose doesn't exactly scream 'I just want to be friends right now'. And you're right, your bug seems a little jumpy, so don't be surprised if she stays flustered around you for a little while longer."

"It's actually kind of cute when she stumbles over her words." Adrien sighed lovingly.

Plagg groaned. "Goodness gracious, kid. Just make sure you stay somewhat focused during Akuma battles. Don't get Marinette worked up during a fight...it's your job to make sure she stays safe so she can cleanse the Akuma."

"I would never let anything happen to Marinette."

"I know, kid. Anyway, I think it's time for you to get going. It's never a good idea for a cat to leave his bug waiting."

Adrien beamed, opened his overshirt for Plagg, and rushed out of the locker room.

"It'll all work out," he thought as nervousness settled in his gut.

"Marinette!" Sabine called from the living room, "Your guest is here! I'm sending him up now!"

The teen took a deep breath and stood near the hatch. After a few seconds, a blond mop of hair peeked over the edge of the floorboards.

"Is it okay for me to come in?" Adrien asked tentatively.

"Yes!" Marinette squeaked, causing her partner to chuckle.

"The only other friend's house I've been to is Chloe's. Well...unless you count the times I went to my cousin's house, but I feel like that's not the same thing."

Some of her nervousness melted away as her heart melted for the boy standing in front of her. "Oh, Adrien...no, it's not the same. I'm sorry. However, you are welcome to come over whenever you want. Consider this a permanent invitation."

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Wait...your parents won't mind if I come over again?"

"Are you kidding? The second you leave, my parents will ask me when you're coming back...and they'll probably be asking me a few other things, as well."

"Like what?"

"Oh...umm...n-never mind. Don't worry about it...uh...GAMES. D-do you like gideo vames...I MEAN...video games?"

"I love video games! I have a whole bunch of shelves filled with them! Uhh...do you like them?"

She took a deep breath. "Yes, my dad and I play them a lot. Our favorite is Ultimate Mecha Strike III."

Adrien's face lit up. "Really! I love that game! I've only ever been able to play with people online. I've never played it with another person before."

Marinette ran to her computer, grabbed a controller off her desk, and held it out for him to take. "How about we fix that today?"

"I'd love to," he replied, taking the controller from her hands.

For the next thirty minutes, they sat in front of the computer playing round after round of Ultimate Mecha Strike. Marinette found herself on the winning side of most of the matches, and this seemed to make Adrien concentrate harder and harder with each passing second. She even caught a glimpse of him hunched over with his tongue sticking out from the corner of her eye.

"He's such a dork," she thought to herself.

After losing the current round, Adrien flopped his head back and sighed. "You won again! Wow...you're amazing, Marinette. I'm so lame compared to you."

Hearing the brokenness in his voice made her want to fling her arms around him, but she hesitated. "N-no...amazing? Me. No, you're so good. I mean, I'm the one who's not good. I mean... I'm lucky, that's all."

"I don't know…you're really good at this."

"And you're really good at being a superhero. You were the one who told me not to give up. I would have given up my Miraculous if it wasn't for you. Adrien, you did that. You are amazing. Besides, the only reason I'm winning is because I have a secret weapon."

"Really? And what might that be?"

Marinette reached into her pocket and pulled out a small pink and green charm that was fastened together with red string. "Here...see? This is my Marinette Lucky Charm. My mom helped me make it when I was little, and I've been carrying it around ever since. How about you try playing a round with it?"

"A lucky charm made by Ladybug herself," he chuckled, "I guess I'll give it a try."

Marinette bit her lip and began scrolling through the game's main menu. Immediately after confirming her stage selection, the sound of a massive crash wafted into her room. Her breathing began to quicken.

"Another Akuma?" Adrien asked, shaking his head, "Something tells me that this Hawkmoth character is going to keep us busy. I guess it's time to get to work."

Marinette sighed. "Yeah, I guess it is. Let's see what Butterfly Boy has in store for us today."

"Butterfly boy...ohmygod! Good to know you have a sense of humor. I'm definitely stealing that one."

"Be my guest!"

Adrien took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm so happy that you're my partner. I know it's only been a few days, but I already know that I wouldn't want to do this anyone else."

Marinette swallowed as she felt her cheeks grew warm. "I...wow...yanks...ugh...no. Let me try that again...thank you."

"It's okay. It's just me...no need to get flustered. Just remember, you're the amazing and incredible Ladybug, and I am proud to stand by your side."

"Saying stuff like that is not going to help me calm down."

"Then I guess we'll just have to spend more time together so you can get used to me."

"Then let's defeat this Akuma...together. That way I can get back to...how did you put it…'getting used to you'. Maybe if you keep saying stuff like that, I'll be 'used to you' in no time."

"That's good because it would be a cat-tastrophe if you weren't feline comfortable around me during a fight."

Marinette threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, no...not puns! Anything but that! I get enough of those from my dad."

Adrien grinned. "Hey, aren't you the one who called Hawkmoth 'Butterfly Boy' about two minutes ago?"

"Touché. Fine...I'll put up with it, but only because I secretly like puns."

"Good because there's purr-lenty more where those came from."

"Just keep them off the battlefield, kitty. I'll need a focused partner out there. We'll have lots of time for jokes when we're together outside the masks."

"As you wish, my lady."

" Ready? Tikki, SPOTS ON!"

The bright, pink light from her transformation flooded her room.

Adrien let go of her hand and stared at her with a look of awe. "I don't think that will ever stop being amazing to watch. I guess it's my turn."

His Kwmai zipped out from behind his collar and hovered in front of his face. "Whenever you're ready, kid."

"Plagg, CLAWS OUT!"

Once he was transformed, the duo climbed out the hatch and took to the rooftops. Upon reaching their destination, they were confronted by a translucent figure with long flowing hair. The Akuma held a glowing notebook in one hand and a dripping quill pen in the other.

"I am Revealer...come to me so I may make your secrets known."

Using the pen, the Akuma shot a thick inky stream into the crowd below. The people who were hit became encased in black sludge and melted into puddles of muck on the ground. Revealer's book lit up, and she cackled.

"What interesting secrets you all had locked away in your minds! Shall we read some? No...actually, I think I'll wait until I have the two best-kept secrets in Paris before I read my book to the world. Come out Ladybug and Chat Noir! There's no need to hide in your glass houses. All will be revealed eventually...so why not now?"

"Well, she's clearly up to no good," Chat commented while resting his chin against his staff.

Ladybug scowled. "I thought I said no puns during battle. We need to stay focused."

"What if I said that puns help me stay focused?"

"Fine. Please just stay safe."

"Well, actually it's my job to keep you safe, so…"

"No! It's our job to keep each other safe."

"You're the only one who can cleanse the Akuma."

"But," she paused before continuing, "I need you."

Chat placed a hand on her cheek. "Tell you what. I promise to do my best to stay safe, but if it comes down to me or you...I will always have to pick you. I trust you to bring me back."

She leaned into his touch. "But what if I can't?"

"My lady, listen to me. Nothing in this universe can keep me away from you. We may get separated for a little bit, but we will always find our way back together. I trust you, and I need you to trust me to make sure that you can save the day in the end. We are a team, and we each have a role. I know what I have to do so you can do what you need to do."

"That doesn't stop me from worrying."

"I know, and that's why I trust you."

"We can do this."

"Yes, we can do this. Just like last time."

Ladybug stepped away and turned her attention towards the Akuma. "Okay...I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. I would really like to be back in my room when my mom calls us down for lunch. We need a plan."

Chat grinned. "I'm ready to hear whatever you have in mind!"

"Okay, I don't know what her deal is, but there's one of two places where that Akuma could be."

"Should we try the book first? Even if we're wrong, she won't be able to read anyone else's secrets...just turn them to...goo."

"Actually, I don't think they're turning into puddles. I think they're becoming a part of the book she has in her hand. The ink on the pages are the innermost thoughts of the people she hits. It must be a diary or something. But you're right...we should go for the book first. Even if it isn't the Akumatized object, getting rid of it will help us get to the pen. If the book gets destroyed, perhaps the people who get encased in that...stuff...won't disappear anymore. Maybe they'll just get really dirty."

"Ew. Just the thought of that makes me want to take a shower."

"Is that a model thing?"

"What?"

"Thinking about taking a shower."

"Excuse me, but I'll have you know that even though I'm a model, I take a normal amount of showers."

"Noted."

"Thank you."

"Still, we can't get hit. No one else can know our identities. That's a secret that should definitely stay between the two of us."

"It'll be okay, my lady. Let's just get this done."

The duo leaped into the fray and stood ready to strike. Ladybug hurled her yo-yo towards the Akuma and pulled the string taught once her weapon had successfully wrapped around the arm that was holding the book. To her chagrin, Revealer didn't budge.

"Well, look who finally decided to join us. You can't defeat me. You may as well reveal yourselves and hand over your Miraculouses before I force them away from you," the Akuma declared.

"Hawkmoth will never win," Ladybug said through gritted teeth.

As Revealer snapped her arm back, the spotted heroine went flying across the battlefield.

"My lady!" Chat screamed behind her.

Ladybug managed to angle her body in a way that caused her to slip past the Akuma's grasp and safely retract her yo-yo. "Nice try, but my secrets are safe with me."

"What about his?" Revealer pointed towards a Chat who was charging across the field ready to use his baton as a vaulting pole.

"No," Ladybug yelled as she launched her yo-yo once again.

Before the wire had the chance to wrap around Revealer's feet, Chat was caught in the path of the Akuma's weapon. Ladybug stood horrified as she watched her partner disappear into a puddle.

The Akuma laughed maniacally as she flipped through the newly covered pages. "Ahhh...the purr-fect addition to my book."

"Only Chat is allowed to say stuff like that! This isn't over yet," Ladybug growled, "LUCKY CHARM!"

A spotted roll of plastic wrap landed in her hands.

"You really think you're going to defeat me with that? You'll join your precious cat soon enough." The Akuma sneered and lifted her pen towards the heroine.

Ladybug ducked and rolled out of the way as another inky stream came hurtling towards her.

"Without Chat, there's no way to Cataclysm the book or the pen. I just have to figure out how to get them away from her." She thought as she scanned her surroundings.

The Akuma flipped to the last page and grinned. "Oh, look...his deepest secret. Shall we read to find out what it is?"

"No!" Ladybug screamed, still unable to find a solution.

Revealer scowled. "There's nothing good here! It's all about some girl he's in love with."

Her heart sank. "In...love? But…I thought...of course not. I knew it was too good to be true."

"Ugh...whoever this girl is, she's all he thinks about. There has to be something here!"

Ladybug shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind. Her eyes eventually landed on a row of lamp posts lining the road. While the Akuma continued to flip through her book, the heroine jumped across the street, unrolled the plastic film, and carefully wrapped between each set of posts. After creating her invisible web of clear plastic, Ladybug then took several steps back and turned her attention towards the Akuma.

"Hey!" Ladybug called out, "You want my secrets? Come and get me."

Revealer's head snapped up. "With pleasure. Your stupid cat was rather disappointing to read about. Hopefully, I'll get something better out of you."

The Akuma lunged towards Ladybug and slammed into the plastic wrap with a roar. The heroine breathed a sigh of relief as the book and pen flew into the road.

"Don't touch that!" Revealer screamed, "It doesn't belong to me. It's my best friend's diary, and I need to put it back before she notices."

Ladybug picked up the book and ripped it in half. "I hate to tell you this, but getting Akumatized is kind of a public thing. I can guarantee that all of Paris knows what you've done by now. Besides, it's not really polite to read other people's secrets."

"But she was writing things about me...terrible things. They were all filthy lies. I don't know where she heard them. If she had a problem with me, she should have just talked to me. People shouldn't keep secrets like that from the people they love. I wanted to write the truth in her book...that way she'd know. You should thank me. I just helped all of Paris learn a lesson in honesty."

"That's where you're wrong," Ladybug scooped up the pen and snapped it in half, releasing the cursed butterfly into the air, "You shouldn't force someone to tell you something. It's important to build trust in a relationship. Going through someone's diary is not how you do that."

After the Akuma was successfully cleansed, the evil magic melted off of Revealer, leaving behind a brown-haired teen.

Ladybug tossed the empty box of plastic wrap into the air. "MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

As the sparkling pink magic swirled around Paris, the girl collapsed to the ground and sobbed. Ladybug walked over to the discarded diary and pen and scooped them up into her hands.

She approached the girl and handed her the objects. "Here...these belong to you."

The girl took the items and turned away. "Thank you, Ladybug. I'm sorry. I really messed up."

"Thank you for the apology, but I don't think that I'm the one who needs to hear it."

"What?"

"Your best friend...go to her."

"Do you think she'll even want to talk to me again? She already thinks I'm a terrible person. This is just going to make her believe that all that stuff she heard is true."

"It's worth a try. Talk to her. If she really cares about you, she'll listen."

The girl offered Ladybug a weak smile. "Okay...yeah...you're right. Thanks."

"My lady?" a voice asked behind her, causing her to spin and lose her balance.

Two strong arms wrapped around her as she collapsed against a leather-clad chest. "Chat?"

"You okay there, little bug?"

"I am now."

"I got hit, didn't I?"

"Yeah. You went away for a little bit."

"You brought me back."

"Yeah." She wrapped her arms around him. "My Lucky Charm was a box of plastic wrap, and I thought about those cat videos where their owners cover doorways with it."

"You watch cat videos?"

"Yeah."

"Does that mean you like cats?"

"Yes. I've always loved cats, but I think they're my favorite now."

"Good to know."

Ladybug choked back a sob. "Chat, I'm so happy you're back. You scared me."

He rested his cheek on top of her head. "But you were able to save the day. If you'd been hit, that Akuma would still be terrorizing the city."

"I know...but I still don't like it."

"I wasn't lying when I said I'd always come back to you. We're Ladybug and Chat Noir, the heroes of Paris. Nothing can keep us apart."

"Yeah."

"I hate to ask this, but...was my identity revealed?"

She shook her head. "Uhhh...no. We got lucky. Your secret wasn't your identity...it was...ummm...about a...girl."

His muscles tensed around her body. "D-did the Akuma say who it was?"

"No."

She felt his body relax as he released a sigh. "Oh."

They stood in a silent embrace until a loud beep emanated from Ladybug's earrings. They pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes.

Chat reached up and brushed a stray hair away from her face. "We should get back. I'm sure your mom will be looking for us to come down and eat pretty soon."

She nodded. "You're right. We need to go. Maman would definitely start asking questions if she came upstairs and saw that my room was empty."

As the duo took to the rooftops, Ladybug's mind wandered. "I wonder who Adrien is in love with."